A year ago I was in Maui with my family. Minutes before departing, I received a call from a friend of mine who is a beautiful singer and actor. She informed me that she was going to be in Maui a few days later and that she'd see me there. I was excited about the coincidence but it wasn't until I saw her in our tropical hideaway that I realized she had moved there. It was a spontaneous move, a decision she made only two weeks prior.

The day she found us, she used her instincts or some kind of built-in compass to walk up from the beach right to our door. After meeting my parents, sister, brother-in-law, and nephew, my friend and I took a walk along the quiet shore. As the beaming sun set, we were the only two people in the world. She talked passionately about her plans for her new home, her thoughts on life, and a man she had met a few days ago.

"We're soulmates," she said. Even though they had just met and even though she had just moved three-thousand miles away from him, I believed her. This friend of mine is like no other. She lives fiercely and deeply, honestly and vulnerably. I could feel that what she saying was true.

I was utterly inspired by her tale of love. Out of all my adventures in Hawaii, that moment was the most memorable, the most powerful. It changed my perspective on trust and instinct. When I came home and she remained, I often thought of her and wondered what had become of their relationship.

Tonight I found out. I went to a Christmas party and as I walked through the door, there she was, looking as beautiful as ever. And lo and behold, sitting beside her was the man she had described to me a year ago. Strong and warm, with a peaceful calm to him, he shook my hand. The two of them were now reunited and living in the city. When I asked my dear friend why she looked so beautiful, she said, "it's because I'm happy."